If you’ve been injured in a car wreck, you need to know when to hire a car accident lawyer. An auto collision can be traumatizing, both physically and mentally. You may be struggling to process the events that happened. During this time, insurance companies will seek to move quickly to finalize and process claims as soon as possible for as little as possible. Knowing when and how to get an attorney involved helps protect your rights to compensation for your injuries.
Why People Hesitate To Hire A Car Accident Attorney
Too many people ask themselves, “Should I hire a lawyer for a minor car accident?” Others may wonder if they even need a lawyer, regardless of the severity of the collision, because they don’t want to seem like too much trouble. After all, that’s what insurance is for, right? Questions like these cost valuable time, and in some instances, their chance to get the full compensation they need to make a full recovery.
Talk To A Lawyer As Soon As Possible After You’re Injured
Ensure you’re safe and your immediate health needs are met if you’ve been injured in a car accident. Then, it’s time to start considering which car accident lawyer to hire. You’ll be faced with immediate medical bills, documentation from reporting authorities, like the police, and requests for statements from the insurance companies of both drivers. You may even be offered a fast settlement or an insurer may seek to get you to sign a statement different than your version of events.
The question isn’t “Should I hire a car accident lawyer,” but “Can I afford to not hire an attorney?”
You need a car accident lawyer if:
- You Were Injured In A Car Accident – No matter how severe or minor you think it is, if you were injured in a car accident, you need to hire a lawyer to protect your rights.
- If The Other Party Was Injured – A lawyer can also help protect you from claims made by other parties who may have been injured in a car accident.
- There Was A Significant Amount Of Property Damage – While a few dings or a “fender bender” may not amount to a high dollar claim, some collisions can cost tens of thousands of dollars in damages even if there are no injuries.
- When An Insurance Company Contacts You About A Collision – Even if you don’t think a collision is likely to be costly or involve an injury and even if the car accident is not your fault, if you are contacted by an insurance agency, it’s time to consider hiring a car accident attorney.
The Myth Of A Minor Car Accident
Car accidents are a combination of high-mass objects colliding at velocity. Even the most inconsequential seeming accident can cause injuries to the people inside the vehicle. Neck, back, and soft tissue injuries can linger and may even worsen over time.
The Truth About Insurance
It’s important to understand that despite quirky television ads, insurance companies are for-profit businesses that seek to do one thing: make a profit. They do this by taking in more money in premiums than they pay out in claims, so it’s in their best interest to pay as little money out as possible. Insurance companies benefit from claims settling early because that means they have a greater chance to do so for lower amounts.
Why You Need A Lawyer For Any Personal Injury Accident
In a collision that causes a personal injury, you’re likely to be facing extensive bills for damages to your vehicle, medical bills for your treatment and recovery, lost wages while you sought medical care and continue to recuperate, and, potentially, for pain and suffering.
The cost of an injury can rapidly accumulate or stretch out over weeks, months, or years of therapy. While your injury may last indefinitely, however, your timeline to address your claim with an insurer doesn’t.
You have two years from the date of the event that caused the injury to file a suit with the courts. If the insurance company can’t get you to agree to a car accident settlement early and low, they will then work to stretch out the process until the statute of limitations frees them of their obligations.
Part of the reason to hire a car accident lawyer immediately is so that they can review any initial settlement offers or communications to ensure you aren’t settling against your interests and to manage the timeline of filing a claim and advancing it in a timely manner to get you the compensation you deserve.
Injured in a Car Accident? Talk to a Lawyer Today
You can talk to a legal professional about your car accident for no cost during a free initial consultation with an experienced attorney from Anapol Weiss. Every case is unique, and this gives you a chance to talk to someone ready to make your case their cause and fight for your rights. Contact us today to get the help you need.